CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY IN CHRISTINE PIPER’S AFTER DARKNESS: A PESRPECTIVE OF MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE BY MINGSHUI CAI

Abstract

This study is aimed to reveal the authenticity of After Darkness as multicultural literature. Therefore, the characteristic of multicultural literature in After Darkness is described as a beginning part of this study. Then, the level of authenticity in this novel will be measured. In the last part, it is explained why this novel can show that level of authenticity. The concept of multicultural literature by Mingshui Cai is applied in this study. Cai offers cultural authenticity as a tool to evaluate multicultural literature. This cultural authenticity consists of cultural boundaries, ethnic perspective, and brute facts. Besides, the concept of implied author is used to reveal the author’s cultural identity. The result of this study shows that After Darkness can be classified as multicultural literature because it focuses on those who are underrepresented in multicultural society. In addition, it is shown that After Darkness is authentic multicultural literature. The description of Japanese cultural-social condition in this novel is appropriate with ethnic perspective and brute facts. The cultural boundaries portrays that the author (Christine Piper) has brief knowledge about Japanese culture.

Keywords: multicultural literature, cultural authenticity, underrepresented culture